Goodbye
by Sully-van
Summary: Just hours before his execution, a new prisoner is brought into Level 6. To Ace's horror, it's his brother Luffy.


**Note:** I... a while ago my friend Lex asked for Ace and Luffy being able to meet for 24 hours before Ace's execution… This probably isn't what she wished for and I can think of at least six people that are going to hate me for this.

I've been having really bad writers block lately, but I finally got this out aye

This… is kind of proof that I can write non-fluffy things but why I rarely do it.

**Warnings:** Imprisonment, police battery, hinted Ace/Luffy (I'm weak back off), all caps at points.

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><p><strong>Goodbye<strong>

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><p>The shackles dig into his wrists, his ankles, chafing the skin. Ace could barely feel the restraints on him, feeling completely disconnected from his body.<p>

His brown eyes are wide, his mouth slack in shock. The expression on his face is of true horror, as if he's witnessing the worst possible thing.

Yes, he decides easily, this one of the worst possible things that could happen to him.

The horror, sadness, and rage slam into him like a tidal wave. Harsh and heavy, drowning him, and taking away his strength so all he can do is slump against the cold seastone wall in terror as he silently watches the scene in front of him.

It wasn't necessarily odd for Magellan to come down to Level 6. He personally came down to tell Ace of the arrangements for his execution – less than 24 hours left and counting.

But, what Ace had not expected to see, was the huge poison man surrounded by a group of guards leading no one but a heavily chained Luffy to Ace's cell.

He cannot find the words to express the absolute terror in the pit of his stomach in those few short seconds. He doesn't know how he hasn't stopped breathing, how this was real, how this wasn't a dream.

Ace's soul seems to connect with his body when dark blue eyes – stubborn, determined, tired, bright, familiar blue eyes – connect with his. He takes in a deep breath and is moving before he knows it, trying to get as close to Luffy as possible.

Strong chains pull him back, making him recoil back against the stone wall. It isn't enough to stop Ace, who is back on his feet in an instant. He's running completely on the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He hasn't slept and has barely ate anything.

"LUFFY!" he yells, not at all aware that it's his first time he's yelled and lost composure in Impel Down, unlike a vast majority of the other prisoners who seemed to do nothing but.

Ace pays little to no attention to Jinbei, who is shackled up next to him. Jinbei watches in poorly concealed shock. He had never seen such terror on Ace's face in the years they had known one another. They had talked about Ace's brother a few times in the past and just hours before, Ace had made Jinbei promise to protect the younger carrier of the D. after Ace died.

Luffy's eyes gleam – recognition, anger at seeing Ace in chains, relief at finally seeing his brother, and other mixed emotions – and he struggles against the group of guards. It causes them to tighten their grip on the seventeen year-old pirate captain. One takes out a baton and bashes it right into Luffy's face, most likely breaking his nose. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered the teen, but the seastone cuffs were clear.

"LUFFY! STOP THAT RIGHT NOW! DON'T YOU DARE HURT HIM!" Ace can't remember the last time he had been so livid. He wants to kill. He wants to take Luffy away from them.

Why was he even here in the first place?

Magellan steps forward, brandishing a ring of keys. He opens the shared cell and nods his head, the soldiers marching the still struggling and now bleeding rubberboy in.

Ace thinks he hears his name whimpered by a small, high-pitched, and utterly familiar voice and he feels like breaking.

He tries to rush forward the guards once more, but they're just out of range. The chains pull him back sharply, to the point where he feels like he's close to dislocating his shoulder. The twenty year old doesn't even know what he would have done if they had been in range, but he was a rather resourceful person. He would have thought of something, even if it had to be him biting all of the guards if it meant they let Luffy go.

They march Luffy's weak but still struggling body past Jinbei. The shock is no longer on the fishman's face, instead replaced with a regret and a glint of anger. Guards hoist Luffy up, who tries to make a last escape, baring his teeth at them and growls like a wild dog. He's missing a tooth and his lip is split, the blood covering his mouth and making him much more intimidating than Ace had ever seen.

Intimidating, yes, but also more scared as well.

And Ace remembers when Luffy had been a hopeless crybaby, scared of simple things and always hiding behind Ace or crawling into his cot and curling into him when the moment called for it. The teen had just gotten better at it, yet what lie underneath the fire in his eyes betrayed him.

Ace thinks that might make this even worse, if possible but it's fucking terrible regardless.

He fights against the chains endlessly, uselessly, but never giving up. Ace wishes that someway, somehow the chains will snap all at once and he can kill these guards for doing this to Luffy.

But they don't break.

Chains are placed on Luffy's wrists, his ankles and the guards let go, letting the bloody, bruised, and exhausted looking seventeen year old slide to the ground with a dull thud.

The sight of Luffy in chains was not one Ace wanted to see ever again. The Porchemy Incident, thinking back, had been bad. Part of Ace can see the scene from ten years ago clearly – Luffy's tiny, broken and bloody body hanging from a rope as tears streamed down his face. He can remember the exact sound of his name being cried from Luffy's lips when Ace and Sabo had shown up, anger running through their veins for the stupid, silly little boy that wouldn't stop following them around.

Remembers how Luffy had done that just because he didn't want to be lonely, because he wanted to be friends with Ace and Sabo.

Ace's stomach churns and for a moment he thinks he's going to upheave whatever is left in his already empty stomach.

Someone as bright and wonderful as Luffy did not belong here. He was too bright, too full of love, energy, and pure happiness to be here.

Ace's personal sun did not belong in Impel Down.

He was supposed to be out and about, on an adventure with his nakama, on his way to become Pirate King.

If a choked sound that sounds a like a sob leaves Ace's throat, no one comments on it.

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><p>"Luffy," Ace whispers as soon as the guards are gone. The other prisoners are loud, screaming as usual, but Ace voice seems to carry, because Luffy's head perks up, the blood running down his chin starting to slow. He looks so tired and so tiny. Luffy had always been too short, too scrawny for his age but now it was prominent. "Why are you here? What happened? What did you do?"<p>

"Nothin' Ace! I was with my crew and then this guy showed up! I met him before and he was really shitty and had a really bad taste in food! But he found me in Sabaody, asked me for a fight, said he knew you. Said the marines got you and that he captured you! I…I fought him. He had this weird power! The Gomu Gomu no mi didn't work!"

Ace's face pales even more so, his brown eyes darkening to a color very close to black. Angry and hate that he's never known before, not even for his piece of shit father, boils in stomach. Hate pulses through his veins like a poison, burning and leaving nothing in it's path.

"Luffy, was this man's name Teach?" Ace's voice is calm, but the rage is clear in his voice. Jinbei looks up at him, reproachful. A certain look shines in Luffy's eyes, one of familiarty. He had been with Ace longer than anyone after all. Even if he was oblivious at times, he knew when Ace got angry, things were not going to be pretty. But this was Ace and Luffy knows him better than anyone.

"Yeah." Luffy says, his eyes clear and voice just as serious as Ace's is.

"THAT MOTHER FUCKER!" Ace roars, mouth curling into a snarl. He wants blood. He wants to kill Marshal D. Teach even more than before. This man was single handedly ruining Ace's life. From Thatch, to Luffy, Teach was targeting the most important things in his life – his nakama who gave him a home, a family, and well,_ Luffy_.

It was more than enough to ensure that Ace would hate that piece of scum for the rest of his life, even after he put that bastard into the ground.

Jinbei looks angered as well. All of the Whitebeard allies knew about Teach's betrayal and what he had done to Thatch and all of them were enraged and wanted his blood.

"He gave me a really bad feeling, but I had to fight him you know? He would of hurt my crew!" Luffy speaks up.

"Where are they?" Ace questions quietly.

"I told them to run away. They didn't like it, but Captains orders, y'know? I think they'll probably try to bust me out! You too, Ace!"

Luffy says it so positively, as if they're not in the most secure prison in the world. Ace has heard about Enies Lobby and knows that his brother is capable of incredible, stupid things so it wasn't a surprise that his crew is the same. He almost wants to believe him. Impel Down was one of the most secure places in the world, if not the most secure. Breaking in was not easy and dealing with the personnel would be suicide. Ace would like to think that Luffy's crew was smarter than that.

But then another thought pops into his head.

"I... I hope they do come and break us out because then I'll hunt that piece of scum down."

"Yeah!" Luffy cheers, clearly unaffected by the fact that they're in a max security prison.

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><p>Ace starts to think that Luffy doesn't know about his execution. Starts to think that Luffy doesn't know that people in Level 6 are all either people that are going to be executed or transferred. Or, in Jinbei's case, negotiated with.<p>

But, with Luffy you can never guess anything. The seventeen year old speaks up after some time has passed, after he becomes somewhat reacquainted with Crocodile. Ace has known that the former Shichibukai almost killed his precious brother thanks to the man provoking him a few days earlier, but Luffy lets new details slip that may or may not cause Ace to try to break from his chains again to beat Crocodile's ass. (He gladly ignored Crocodile's "brother complex" comment.)

Luffy looked uncomfortable and even more out of place when he speaks again.

"Ace... Teach said that you were gonna be executed. He wasn't telling the truth right?" The big doe eyes that meet his make him remember that Luffy is just a child still. A pirate, one that is quickly showing to be more than a pain for the Marines and the World Government. But also still just a seventeen year old boy who had only been on the ocean since last May.

"Yeah, he was." Ace gets out. It's hard to say to Luffy. "I'm going to be executed soon."

Luffy's face falls, terror clear on his round face. Ace didn't know it was any possible to feel worse.

"No," Luffy raises his voice, looking more scared than Ace had ever seen him. "No way! You aren't going to be executed!"

"Lu, I'm not really-"

"No, Ace." Luffy, says. He looks terrified but he sounds and looks more serious than Ace has ever seen. "I'm gonna break us out, Ace."

And Ace doesn't know what to say to that.

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><p>Luffy starts to strain against his chains, trying to break free but ending against the cold stone walls every time. But the fire in Luffy's eyes never went out - it never did in all the years Ace had known him.<p>

"We're gonna get out," Luffy kept repeating, determination heavy in his voice. The seventeen year old looked more and more tired every time he tried, but he wouldn't stop.

Jinbei joins Ace in trying to get Luffy to stop before he passes out or dislocates something. But, Luffy had never listened to Ace in the first place so why should he start now?

What must be hours pass - there's no way to really tell time in Imple Down, but it feels like hours. Luffy takes breaks for a few minutes every now and then, but always gets back up and fights against the chains.

They don't budge.

He talks to his brother, Luffy answering back every now and then but it's not enough to get him to stop.

Time passes all too quickly, because before Ace knows it, the doors to level six open and Magellan is back with a group of guards with him. Ace knows that it's time for his transfer to Marineford.

"It's time," Magellan confirms once he reaches the cell. A guard unlocks and opens the cell, others piling in.

"NO!" Luffy screams, fighting against the chains. "DAMNIT, STOP!"

No one listens to Luffy. Ace glares at the guards, at Magellan. If looks could kill, they'd all be long gone by now.

Seastone cuffs are secured around Ace's arms and the shackles attached to the wall are removed. The guards march him out of the cell and Luffy starts screaming his name.

Ace makes his move quickly. He headbutts a guard, taking his weapon. Ace knocks down another and another, the lithe man moving quick on his feet. Maybe, if he even has an ounce of luck, he can get to the guard with the keys and snatch them and take the seastone off. He could take on Magellan, his haki enough to deal with Magellan's Doku Doku no Mi. Maybe, if he was really lucky, he could knock him out quick enough so then man's poison didn't spread to Luffy and Jinbei.

But, of course, his blood is cursed, poisoned and his luck must be the same.

The guards tackle him all at once, pinning him to the floor and getting a few hits in for good meassure. Ace struggles effortlessly, the guards forcing him back on his feet and now with a tighter hold in him.

"ACE!" Luffy shrieks, over and over again as Ace gets further and further away. The seventeen year old thrashes against his chains even rougher than before. "ACE! DON'T TAKE HIM! STOP"

"Luffy…" Ace murmurs, looking back. His eyes starting to sting involuntarily.

Part of it probably had to do with the fact that it was the last time he'd ever see Luffy - his brother, his sun, his reason to live - in this life.

Luffy's frantic screams of "ACE! ACE!" fill the air, drowning out the loud, usual screams of the other inmates. When Ace, Magellan, and the other guards are getting closer and closer to the door, Luffy's voice breaks. Sobs are clear, echoing throughout the room.

"ACE PLEASE! YOU PROMISED ME! PROMISED SABO! YOU'RE STRONG! YOU CAN BEAT THEM! ACE!" Luffy actually sobs, still fighting against the seastone chains to the best of his ability.

Ace bites his lip hard enough to taste blood. He hates hearing Luffy cry. As kids, he had hated how Luffy was a whiny crybaby. However, as the brothers got closer, older, and Luffy didn't cry as much it felt like a million knifes were stabbing Ace at once whenever he did cry.

This, however, was nearly unbearable for the twenty year old.

He doesn't know what to say. Doesn't know what to do. Part of him feels like he's going to have a panic attack, which really will not help him.

He wants to break free from the chains, wishes that he was strong enough to break sea stone and defeat the whole brigade at once so he can go over to his baby brother and scoop him up in his arms like he longs to. He wants to hold Luffy close, pet his hair and whisper sweet, soothing words to calm the boy down.

There hadn't been much time in Alabasta. Only time for an embrace that lasted about a minute before both Ace and Luffy had to part ways. The truth was however, that Ace desperately did not want to let his brother go. He understood that his brother was a big boy, could fight his own battles and didn't need Ace to protect him anymore. But, in all honesty, there was nothing more important in Ace's life than Luffy. It had been that way since the twerp had broken down all of Ace's defenses and wormed into Ace's heart and sunk his claws deep inside, down to Ace's very core. The rubber boy had yet to let go of Ace's heart even now and Ace doubted he ever would, even though they did not have much time left at all.

What Ace didn't understand was that, somehow, this was mutual. Somehow, he was the most important person in Luffy's life. Luffy had told him so twice – once before when Ace had been leaving the island to start piracy and again, a brief whisper during their short embrace in Alabasta – and every word had dripped with honesty. It was mind blowing to Ace… That someone like him could be that important to someone like Luffy.

He didn't deserve it.

Ace feels like he would probably end up breaking down along with Luffy. The younger boy had always been a solace for Ace. No matter what, Ace knows that if he needed it, Luffy was the only person he could lay his heart out to and that he wouldn't feel any different about Ace.

In fact the entire time he had been hunting Whitebeard's head, wishing Luffy was there with him had circulated his head throughout most of the day and night. It kept him up even, until his narcolepsy knocked him out. He thought about him when hunting Teach, thought about how bad he wanted to see Luffy. How he ached to see that bright, easy going grin that melted his problems away and hear that everything was going to be okay as thin yet surprisingly strong arms wrapped around his waist and a face was buried in his neck in order to feel whole again.

He always did find himself thinking about Luffy in the most trying times. Thought about how Luffy needed him, what he was doing, how much trouble he was getting into, if he missed Ace and thought of him.

It was ironic because now was a time where Luffy needed Ace the most, but Ace couldn't go to him or even think of words to say.

So the words leave his lips involuntarily. The last words he will ever say to his baby brother. The thought makes him feel nauseous.

"I'm sorry, Lu. I love you. Goodbye."

The brothers never said goodbye to anyone, especially not the other. They always firmly believed that they would see each other one again - the world was a large place but nothing could keep Portgas D. Ace and Monkey D. Luffy from each other while they were still living and breathing.

But that was just the thing. In just a few hours, Ace would be gone. Dead. He would never see Luffy ever again in this life.

So he looks at Luffy while he can, drinking up his image for the last time. Luffy is sobbing and screaming Ace's name, tears and snot dripping down his tan face. He's in bad condition and again Ace can feel his eyes begin to prick once more.

And Ace feels fear. He's afraid. Terrified. The thought of not being with this boy for his last final hours is terrifying. He wants to touch him, hold him in his arms for both of their own good.

"ACE!" Luffy shrieks once more, when Ace takes his first step out of level 6, the guards close.

The door closes, blocking off the light and Luffy's screams.


End file.
